Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill
Publisher: Penguin
4 Stars

There’s a fresh new voice in paranormal and that voice belongs to author Chloe Neill. She’s penned the first of her Chicagoland Vampire Novels entitled Some Girls Bite.

I’d been in a reading ‘slump’ so I was very happy to pick up a book that made me want to turn the pages. The author has created an interesting vampire mythology and a heroine who has spunk and daring, she’s kick ass without the hard edges.

Set in contemporary Chicago, vampires who have been around for a very long time have finally ‘come out’ presenting a face of wealth, sophistication, power and civility making a very vocal statement that they are here and plan to live side by side with humans. Most of the human population is both fascinated and drawn to them. Everyone except Merit, a graduate student who has no time for anything but getting her degree, until one night she is savagely attacked by a ‘rogue’ vampire. On the brink of meeting her maker she is saved by Ethan, a master vampire whose only way to save her is to make her one of them. Merit wakes from her attack to discover she is now an immortal night creature and she’s pissed. She didn’t ask to be one of them and she’s not sure how she feels about it. Dealing with the obvious changes of drinking blood, sleeping during the day, and fangs she must also confront how she’ll become part of their world. Merit must follow the vampire ways which means submitting to the Master of her house Ethan, or live the life of a rouge and that of an outcast to both the vampires and the humans. I really thought the author was going to have Merit submit, in which case I would have thrown the book across the room. It really would have ticked me off. However, the author masterfully creates a plot point I didn’t see coming allowing each of the main characters to retain their integrity and develop their individual desires to be themselves as well as being part of the group.

This book is much more than a paranormal story of good versus evil. It deals with issues such as power of choice, submission, and prejudices and questions what really defines family. In addition, there is also a mystery, and that plot point nicely introduces all the characters and advances the mythology.

The author writes wonderful dialogue with great wit and a reality that defines each character. The story moves along at a lively pace and she’s created secondary characters you want to know more about. I will warn you, this book does not have your traditional HEA, and I’m not sure that the author intends for the next in the series to have a HEA. HOWEVER, it is well worth the read, I recommend it.

Reviewed by Maria Lokken
3.5 stars
Publisher: Mira
Pub Date Feb 1, 2009

Kimberly Van Dorn is a mess. She’s flying coach, dressed in a sequin evening gown, wearing four inch strapless heels and accompanied by only one piece of ‘luggage’ a Judith Leiber handbag. Where is she going and what is she running from? We know this much, she’s just left the eternal sunshine of LA for the frigid winter of Willow Lake in upstate New York.

A media agent for superstar sports figures, Kimberly has traded in her job for what she believes will be the comfort her mother’s arms and the pace of small town life. But small town doesn’t mean small problems, because this story is filled with quirky characters that have issues. Particularly Bo Crutcher, minor league baseball player with big league dreams. On the precipice of realizing his life long goal he’s thrown into a relationship with AJ, the son he’s never met. The circumstances are rough and AJ has to deal with a father he thinks abandoned him.

Fireside is about dreams and second chances. The author has created vivid characters that jump off the page, each with their own back story and baggage. As the characters meet, they form relationships that help cast off the shadows of the past and create hopes for the future.

Susan Wiggs has become a favorite of mine. Her ability to envelop the reader into the story and the characters is what got me hooked. You care what happens. I found myself waiting to get back to the book in between work and errands.

My only quibble is that I felt rushed at the end. She spends quite a bit of time developing the characters and revealing their stories, so I was surprised when a few pages from the end she wrapped everything up. I felt the resolution deserved a bit more time. However, I strongly recommend this story – it will captivate you.

Reviewed by Maria Lokken
Publisher: Berkley
5 stars
Publication date 4/7/09

I picked up Jodi Thomas’ latest novel not knowing what to expect. The only thing I knew was that I was in for a good read, and once again, Ms. Thomas did not disappoint. She paints beautiful pictures with her words, creates characters that are so real you feel as though they’re standing next to you, and she has a deliciously wry sense of humor.  Rewriting Monday is no exception.

Pepper Malone, an ex-reporter from the Windy City, is on the run and traveling light. With just the bare essentials (her car, computer and Manolo Blanicks) she ends up in Bailee, Texas – a town without a traffic light. In an effort to stave off starvation and get some money in her pockets she takes gets a job doing the only thing she knows how, as a reporter for the town newspaper the Bailee Bugle. Owner Mike McCulloch doesn’t know why she’d want a job in a town that rolls up its street at 9pm – but he doesn’t really have time to find out. No sooner does Pepper arrive when the story becomes a mystery. Someone is trying to close down the newspaper and kill Mike or Pepper or both.

What begins as a contemporary romance quickly turns into a romantic mystery suspense. I didn’t see it coming, and I didn’t guess who the antagonist was until the very end.

Rewriting Monday has lively, animated, tender secondary characters you want to know more about and the author is obliging. Each one weaves into the action seamlessly creating a robust story that pulls you right in.

I enjoyed this book from page one until the end – and thoroughly recommend it.